An egress window is a window someone can climb out of in an emergency and a firefighter can climb in through. That is the whole idea behind the rule. Code sets minimums for how big the clear opening has to be, how high above the floor it can sit, and for a below-grade window, how large the well outside it must be. Those minimums come from the code your city has adopted, so the right move is always to confirm current requirements with your local building department.
This is the reason finished basements get flagged during a sale. A room can have a closet, a door, carpet, and paint, and still not count as a bedroom if the window does not meet the requirement. Buyers, agents, and appraisers look at this, which is why homeowners often discover the issue at the worst possible moment. If you are planning to finish a basement, sort out the egress before the framing and drywall go in, not after.
Egress work sits at the higher end of window jobs because you are changing the opening, not just the unit in it. Cutting a new opening in a foundation wall costs more than enlarging one that already exists. Depth matters, since a deeper well means more excavation, more well material, and usually a ladder. Access to the exterior side drives cost too, because a tight side yard that equipment cannot reach turns into hand work. Soil and drainage conditions add variables, and the finish work inside the basement, framing and drywall around the new opening, is its own line.
Code sets minimums for the clear opening, for the height of the opening above the floor, and for the dimensions of the well outside a below-grade window. The exact figures depend on the code edition your jurisdiction has adopted and on local amendments. Rather than working from a number you found online, call your city's building department and confirm what they currently enforce.
Because a room only counts as a bedroom if it has a compliant way out. A finished room with a closet and a door still fails if the window is too small, sits too high, or opens into a well that does not meet requirements. This shows up in inspections and appraisals, and it can affect how the home is described and valued.
Often yes, and it is a common approach. It means cutting the foundation wall, supporting what is above the opening, excavating outside, and installing a properly sized well with drainage. It is real construction rather than a window swap, so expect a permit, an inspection, and a schedule that includes both interior and exterior work.
Very much. What matters is the clear opening you get when the window is fully open, not the size of the frame. A casement swings the whole sash out of the way, while a slider or a hung window only ever gives you part of the opening. That is why two windows of the same overall size can land on opposite sides of the requirement.
Old windows swapped for new ones, either full-frame down to the rough opening or as an insert inside the existing frame. We help you figure out which one your house actually needs before anyone quotes a number.
Learn more →Haze or fog trapped between the panes means the seal on that unit has failed, and no amount of cleaning brings it back. Sometimes the glass can be replaced on its own, and sometimes the whole window is the better call.
Learn more →Sliders, French doors, and entry doors are a related but separate job with their own problems: thresholds that leak, weatherstripping that has gone flat, and slabs that no longer sit square in the opening. We handle those too.
Learn more →A sash that will not stay up, a crank that spins, a window painted shut. These are usually hardware or balance problems, not a reason to replace the whole unit. Worth checking before you buy anything.
Learn more →A few quick questions, then we match you with a contractor who works on Utah homes.